


Asterisk

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: Starting Over [10]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-02
Updated: 2012-04-02
Packaged: 2017-11-02 23:08:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/374390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maybe she would dip her foot in the water and see if it was too hot or too cold.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Asterisk

He was late. He was late and hadn't sent a cute text message. He hadn't sent a serious text either. There had been no communication at all. She wasn’t sure what to do about this. 

Holding her cell phone, Beth was trying to decide if she could call or text. She was trying to decide if there should be anger or concern. His job meant that he might have to run off on less than a moment’s notice. But he always contacted her. Even if the news was bad, Aaron called. 

He’d never stood her up…there had to be a good reason for this. Being angry might be a waste of time so Beth dropped the phone back in her purse. She was there tonight to support a friend, making it about Aaron wasn’t a good idea. So after a deep breath, she went back into the thick of it. The gallery was crowded and that made Beth smile. 

She knew a lot of people in the room. Soon she was talking about kids, art, and a little politics. She was drinking champagne and posing for pictures. She even took a few pictures of her own with her iPhone. It was the same iPhone that showed zero texts or voicemails.

In front of one of the exhibits, Beth tilted her head to the left to try to get a better idea of what it represented. This might require an extra glass of champagne. She gasped when someone covered her eyes. She knew so many people in the room it could’ve been anyone but she immediately knew who it was. His smell, his feel, was becoming second nature now. Then she heard the voice in her ear. 

“Please don’t be upset with me.” he whispered.

“And why would I be upset with you?”

“It may have looked as if I stood you up.”

“The thought crossed my mind.”

“I'm here.”

“Uncover my eyes, Hotchner.” She said.

“Oh…yeah.” 

Hotch did as she asked and Beth turned around. Damn, even if she wanted to be mad at him it was going to be difficult. He looked good enough to eat. Aaron Hotchner wore all black with a maroon tie. 

Black suit, dress shirt, and shoes. The splash of color, dark color, just added to the smolder that surrounded him. His hair was perfectly gelled, except for the adorable cowlick that Hotch couldn’t seem to tame no matter what. Beth told him it was his giddy side yearning to break free.

“You look good.” She told him as her hand ran down the silk tie.

“My mother always told me I dress up well. It’s a Hotchner thing. You look fantastic.”

She’d bought a new dress for the occasion but didn’t tell him so. It was Calvin Klein, it had cost too much, but Beth was enamored with it the first time she saw it. The same could be said for Aaron Hotchner. So she put her arms around him and gave him a hug. Then she kissed his cheek.

“Some people want to meet you.” she said. “I told them you had a work delay because I figured when I didn’t hear from you…”

“It was Jack.” Hotch replied.

“Oh my God, is he OK?”

The way she said it made him like her even more. Hotch wasn’t sure that was possible but it had just happened. She liked his son. She didn’t like his son because she was trying to get closer to him. Beth liked kids. He loved to see her and Jack talk…there was never any weirdness or discomfort. 

Jack laughed with her. Sometimes he laughed at her. Dad’s friend was very funny, that’s what Jack told him one night recently as he tucked him into bed. He wanted to know when they were going to hang out with Beth again. Hotch said he wasn’t sure but Jack asking was a good sign. They were still taking it slow but the three of them spending time together seemed to make his son just as happy as it made him.

“He's OK. He's staying with my sister and brother-in-law this week because work has been busy. For the past two days he’s been ill. It’s a stomach virus and tonight Jessie called to say things had turned into _The Exorcist_. I asked if she was going to take him to the hospital since he wasn’t keeping food down. 

“She said he wasn’t that kind of ill but I went over to make things are alright. The three of us, Jessie, Sam, and I, made the decision that the ER wasn’t necessary. But I was reading to him, talking, and hanging out. I honestly lost track of time. I actually forgot what day it was.”

“Of course you did, your son is sick. I understand.”

“I appreciate that.” Hotch nodded. “I'm so sorry though.”

“It’s alright, Aaron.” She caressed his face. “Is Jack going to be alright?”

“I think so. I’ll go and check on him tomorrow morning before going into the office. If things aren’t looking good I'm sure Jessie will take him to the hospital and call me. I trust her to do whatever needs to be done. Ever since Haley passed away she’s been Jack’s de facto mother. Hell, she and Sam have been there more than I have.”

“You're a good dad…I've seen you in action.”

“Thanks.” He managed a smile. Then he sighed. “I didn’t rush over here to talk about me.”

“You didn’t have to come.” Beth said. “You could’ve called to cancel; I'm sure your mind is pretty scattered right now.”

“No, I'm fine. Jack has been sick before. Believe me, he's seven years old…he's sick at least once a month. Schools are seriously the most disgusting places ever. I try to keep him clean, spray him down, douse him with antibacterial chemicals,” Hotch smiled again. “I'm not always successful. You said some people wanted to meet me.”

“Yes.” Now Beth was smiling. “I won't overwhelm you; I’ll just introduce you to Kendra. This is her show.”

“Modern art confuses me most of the time.” Hotch replied.

“Don’t tell Kendra that.”

“Modern art is awesome.” Hotch grinned, his dimples poking holes in his cheek. “These pieces are rife with existentialism.”

Beth laughed out loud and then covered her mouth. When the giggles subsided, she hit his arm. Hotch laughed some.

“You're gonna get me in trouble, Aaron Hotchner.”

“I have to say it's been a long time since I've heard that.”

“Stick with me.” she slipped her hand in his. 

“I already know you're trouble, Clemmons.”

Her laughter was bubbly and it gave Hotch butterflies in his stomach. Tonight could’ve been bad but Beth understood. She understood and there was still plenty of their evening left. Hotch didn’t know a thing about modern art but he planned to have a good time tonight. With Beth it was impossible not to.

***

The dress had a plunging neckline while still managing to be modest. Hotch appreciated that as his lips trailed across Beth’s throat and down toward her collarbone. She let out a soft sigh, running her hand up the nape of his neck and through his hair. He felt the electric jolt go through him and it made Hotch shiver. It also made him nip at her skin.

“Oh shit…I'm sorry.” His eyes were downcast as he pulled away. His fingers traced over the spot. “That might leave a mark.”

“I'm only sorry that you pulled away. C'mere.” Beth pulled him into a passionate kiss.

She’d invited him up for a nightcap. There was definitely going to be more than tea and conversation. They'd gotten good at making out after dating for four months. Neither seemed in a rush to go any further. Beth was quite happy to kiss the man all day and all night. He was one of the best kissers she’d encountered in some time. 

Aaron took his time with everything. He wanted to feel good, wanted her to feel good, and no one felt good when they treated it like a race. She loved the way they touched each other. It wasn’t necessarily about the body parts that would take this from PG-13 to NC-17. Hotch especially loved to kiss her fingertips and wrists. 

She loved to nibble his earlobes and kiss the underside of his stubbly chin. His hands on her hips drove her crazy. Beth knew stroking the nape of his neck set him on fire. But tonight she was feeling the need for just a little more. The approach would have to be handled cautiously. He was skittish about change to a routine.

“Beth…”

She knew that tone. She knew the way he took her hands in his, kissed them, and then laughed nervously. It wasn’t going to happen tonight. Damn. She knew he didn’t have to go home to be with Jack but it still seemed as if he didn’t want to stay with her. Well, he didn’t say that. Maybe she would dip her foot in the water and see if it was too hot or too cold.

“Stay tonight.” She whispered, now holding his hands to her lips.

“I think I want that too much.” Hotch replied.

“Is that possible?”

“Oh yes.” He laughed again. Then he kissed her. “This is going well.”

“I sense a but.” She’d untangled her hands from his and was now toying with his tie. 

There was nothing wrong with upping the ante. They’d spent the night together before and nothing happened. Even if something did tonight, they didn’t have to go all the way. Beth hadn't planned sleepovers this strategic since her first college boyfriend. She liked Aaron Hotchner a lot more.

“I just don’t want to take this someplace we can't turn back from.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“It means that I like you.” Hotch replied. “I like you and um, I really like you Beth.”

“I like you too, which is why I want you to stay.”

“We can't make love tonight.”

“OK.” Beth nodded.

“That’s it?” he raised his eyebrow. 

“What do you want me to do, Aaron? Shall I stamp my foot and demand that dammit, we’re going to make love or there will be hell to pay.”

“No, I just…” he sighed. “I need to be honest and I want you to be too.”

“OK, the honest truth is I'm getting a little anxious.” Beth caressed his face. “I know that you know how much I want you. I sense that you want me too. I also know it’s not going to be worth a damn if we aren’t on the same page. I want you to stay; I want to sleep with you. We don’t have to make love tonight.”

“But soon?” Hotch asked.

“That’s a question for you to answer, Aaron, not me.” she smiled. She kissed his nose and then his mouth. “Stop worrying. Stop overanalyzing. Stop freaking out. Just follow your feelings. OK asterisk, don’t follow them tonight if they take you out the door.”

Hotch grinned, pulling her close for more kisses. He didn’t know why she understood. He sometimes wasn’t sure if she really did or if she didn’t want to look like the pushy type. Women were an enigma to him. He could figure out serial killers easier than the opposite sex. 

The man was 45 years old and clueless. On the one hand he knew he was crazy about Beth. On the other, once sex entered the equation you could never go back to what you had before it. He needed to know her. He wanted to be close to her in other ways before they went there. 

But there was also fear. Hotch pushed it down deep in his belly and didn’t plan to talk to her about it. None of it was Beth’s fault and there was probably nothing she could do about it. That didn’t mean he shouldn’t talk about it with someone. The fear wasn’t going away. Soon it would hold him back, even when he was ready to move forward. It probably already was.

“I don't want to go.” Hotch shook his head when he kissed her.

“Mmm, keep talking…I like where this is going.”

“I don’t want to talk either, Beth.”

“Second base, woo-hoo!” she pumped her fist.

He just started laughing. Hotch put his forehead on her shoulder and laughed. Beth laughed too, rubbing the nape of his neck.

“You're something, someone, very special.” He said.

“I feel the same about you.”

She stood from the couch and held out her hand for him. Hotch took it, standing too. He brushed his lips across her knuckles and then his tongue across her lips.

“Woo-hoo.” He mumbled, going in for another kiss.

Beth knew tonight would be just a little different from their first sleepover. Different was good. She was ready for more of Aaron and it wasn’t just about his body. Still, it was clear that he had an amazing body. When it was close to her, the chemicals mingled until it caused a cosmic explosion. 

She kicked off her shoes, which made Hotch smile. He did the same and then they headed to the bedroom. Going with the flow was the best way to handle whatever happened tonight. Beth had a feeling that Aaron’s flow would make her a very happy woman.

***


End file.
